Spooling machine

ABSTRACT

A spooling machine for the simultaneous spooling of at least two threads on an equal quantity of winding places, which are arranged so as to be adjacent to one another in a row, is equipped with a belt-type traversing device. The traversing is effected by means of carriers (28a-28d) which are moved in opposite directions and which fit on a revolving toothed belt (20) so as to be uniformly spaced (y), and alternately grasp the threads (8a-8d). The reversing points of the traversing areas of the individual winding places are marked by means of deflectors (47a-47d; 51a-51d). The effective spacing (z) between two corresponding deflectors (47a-51a; 47b-51b; 47c-51c; 47d-51d), which effective spacing (z) determines the traversing stroke is smaller than the center distance (x) between two traversing areas. This is exactly half as large as the spacing (y) between two adjacent carriers (28a-28d).

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention is directed to a spooling machine for simultaneouslyspooling at least two threads on the same quantity of winding places,which are arranged adjacent to one another in a row, by means of aso-called belt-type traversing device which comprises the followingcharacteristic features:

(a) two intermediate portions of the belt, which are moved in a straightline in opposite directions and are arranged adjacent to one another,are equipped with uniformly spaced carriers;

(b) at least two pairs of deflectors, which mark the reversing points ofthe individual traversing areas and are suitable for passing a threadfrom one carrier to a carrier approaching in the opposite direction, arearranged adjacent to the intermediate portions of the belt in accordancewith the quantity of winding places.

Prior Art

In order to spool at extremely high thread speeds--e.g. 6,000m/min.--spooling machines are known in which the thread is guided inreciprocating motion by means of carriers which are fastened on twointermediate portions of the band or belt which are moved in oppositedirections and are arranged adjacent to one another. The alternatingmovement of the thread is not effected by means of a single reciprocatedthread guide, as in conventional traversing devices, but, rather, inthat the carriers, which are moved in opposite directions, alternatelygrasp and guide the threads. Since the carriers are neither acceleratednor decelerated at the reversing points of the thread, the influence ofthe inert mass of the thread guide members is completely eliminatedduring the thread reversal.

The manner of operation of this known belt-type traversing device isknown, e.g., from DE-OS No. 15 35 091. If one follows the movement of acarrier fastened on one intermediate portion of the belt, which carrieris met by a carrier of the other intermediate portion of the belt at adetermined point, it can easily be seen that the distance between themeeting point with the next carrier of the other intermediate portion ofthe belt and the first meeting point is half as great as the distancebetween two adjacent carriers of an intermediate belt portion. This is aresult of the intermediate portions of the belt moving in oppositedirections at the same speed. Since the thread is fed from a carrier ofone intermediate portion of the belt to a carrier of the otherintermediate portion of the belt at a meeting point, the traversingstroke of the thread is equal to the distance between two meetingpoints. The feed is effected by means of a suitable shaping of thecarriers and is facilitated by means of stationary deflectors which arearranged at the meeting points.

It also follows from the indicated text and the U.S. Pat. Nos. 22 38 128and DE-OS 26 22 243 that the intermediate portions of the belt canextend over the traversing areas of a plurality of winding places whichare arranged adjacent to one another. However, a more detaileddescription of the construction and manner of operation of belt-typetraversing devices for the simultaneous spooling of a plurality ofthreads does not follow from the previously cited texts.

A traversing device is indicated schematically in DE-OS No. 35 05 188 inwhich the distance over which the intermediate portions of the belt runadjacent to one another amounts to a multiple of the distance betweentwo carriers. Therefore, a plurality of meeting points are located alongthis distance so as to be uniformly spaced. This is made use of in orderthat a single pair of intermediate belt portions serves aplurality--four in the present example--of winding places. According tothe teaching of this text, the distance between two carriers is equal totwice the traversing stroke of the thread; obviously, it is assumed asself-evident that the traversing stroke is equal to the distance betweentwo meeting points. This results in a problem: For obvious reasons, itis not possible to wind adjacent spools in such a way that the end faceswhich face one another lie very close to one another. But if a spacingbetween two spools is urgently necessary, this spacing must be equal tothe spacing between two meeting points or must be a multiple of thelatter because of the unalterable position of the meeting points.Accordingly, the text teaches that the center distance between thewinding places equals twice the traversing stroke. That is, in otherwords, the distance between two spools is equal to the length of aspool.

The problem with which the DE-OS No. 34 44 648 is concerned is that ofarranging a plurality of spools to be wound in a spooling machine withbelt-type traversing device so as to be closely adjacent to one anotheras is conventional in traversing devices with a reversing thread rollerdrive.

In order to solve this problem a compensation of length must be carriedout at the revolving intermediate portions of the belt. For thispurpose, the intermediate belt portions between two adjacent traversingdevices are deflected from the traversing plane by means of deflectingrolls, wherein the deflection distance is a whole-number multiple of thelength of the traversing stroke. The arrangement of the deflecting rollsis more costly in terms of construction the more winding places arearranged on a winding mandrel. In practice, it may already be difficultto accommodate more than two winding places on a winding mandrel.Readjusting a machine which is equipped for a determined quantity ofwinding places to a different quantity of winding places may only bepossible--if at all--with considerable conversion work.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has the object of providing a spooling machinepertaining to the technical field indicated in the beginning which makesit possible to produce a plurality of closely adjacent windings with thelowest expenditure and which can be easily readjusted to a differentquantity of winding places.

This object is met, according to the invention, in that the centerdistances of the traversing areas are half as great as the distancesbetween the carriers of an intermediate portion of the belt and in thatthe effective spacing of the two deflectors of a traversing area issmaller than the center distances of the traversing areas. The"traversing area" of each spool is the region where a thread performsits reciprocating movement. The length of the traversing areacorresponds to the traversing stroke of the thread.

The "effective spacing" of the two deflectors is the spacing of thepoints at which the thread is actually detached from the arrivingcarrier by means of the deflector.

The effective spacing is therefore equal to the traversing stroke.According to the invention, the effective spacing is deliberately madesmaller than the spacing between two meeting points; the difference isused for maintaining the indispensable spacing between the end faces oftwo adjacent spools. The advantage over the device according to DE-OSNo. 35 05 188 consists particularly in that twice as many spools can beaccommodated on a winding mandrel of the same length. The advantage overthe device according to DE-OS No. 34 44 648 consists in the simplicityand ease of readjusting to a different quantity of winding places.

Another characteristic feature of the invention consists in that thedeflectors are displaceable in the longitudinal direction of the axis ofa winding mandrel and are coupled with a feeler member contacting thewinding surface by means of a gear unit for the purpose of a spacingbetween the two deflectors of a traversing area, which spacing decreasesas the winding diameter increases. Accordingly, it is possible to reducethe effective spacing of the deflectors as the winding diameterincreases and, in this way, to produce windings with conical or curvedend faces.

SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The drawing serves to explain the invention with the aid of anembodiment example which is shown in a simplified manner.

FIG. 1 is a schematic presentation of the spooling machine, partially insection, from the side.

FIG. 2 shows a front view of the traversing device.

FIG. 3 shows the arrangement of the windings in section.

FIG. 4 shows the traversing device from above.

FIG. 5 shows individual portions of the traversing device from above,the individual portions being shown in transversely explodedpresentation.

FIG. 1 shows a sleeve 1 with windings 2 on a winding mandrel 3. As willbe seen in the following, the spooling machine has a total of fourwinding places located adjacent to one another in a row, i.e. a total offour sleeves with four windings are arranged on the mandrel 3. Thewinding mandrel 3 is connected with a machine frame, not shown, in sucha way that its position does not change relative to the machine frameduring the construction of the winding 2. For example, it can bearranged on a revolving head.

A driving roller 5, which is driven by a motor, not shown, is supportedin a housing 4, which is only indicated schematically and isreciprocated in its vertical guide relative to the machine frame. Atraversing device 6 is accommodated in the housing 4 so as to be closelyadjacent to the driving roller 5.

By means of thread guides 7, which are immovably connected with themachine frame and are centrally arranged along the assigned windingplaces corresponding to the quantity of winding places, threads 8 arefed to the traversing device 6 at a high speed, pass through a shortopen distance, contact a bend approximately greater than 90° at thesurface of the driving roller 5, and, from there, reach the windings 2.Corresponding to the increasing winding diameter, the driving roller 5moves upward together with the traversing device, as symbolized by arrow9.

The traversing device 6 is arranged in the housing 4 at a cross member10. A motor 13 with a toothed driving pulley 14 is arranged on a plate11 so as to be adjustable in the longitudinal direction of the crossmember 10 by means of an adjusting screw 12, the plate 11 being weldedwith the cross member 10. A deflecting pulley 15, which is also toothed,is supported on a carriage 16 at the other end of the cross member 10,the carriage 16 being guided on guide rods 17 so as to slide in thedirection of the cross member 10. A tension spring 18, which issupported on a stirrup 19, presses the carriage 16 in the direction ofthe end of the cross member 10. A continuous toothed belt 20 is guidedalong the driving pulley 14 and the deflecting pulley 15. The upperintermediate portion 21 of the toothed belt 20 is deflected in such away by means of two additional toothed disks 22, 23 supported in thevicinity of the driving pulley or the deflecting pulley 15 that it runsparallel to the lower intermediate portion 24 of the belt so as to be atthe shortest possible distance from it. In the rotating direction of thedriving pulley 14, indicated by means of arrow 25, the upperintermediate belt portion 21 runs in the direction of arrow 26, whilethe lower intermediate belt portion 24 runs in the opposite directionaccording to arrow 27.

Carriers 28 are fastened so as to be uniformly spaced on the edge of thetoothed belt 20 remote of the cross member 10.

A bearing housing 29, in which is supported a toothed wheel 30 having ahorizontal axis, is fastened at the cross member 10 above the upperintermediate portion 21 of the belt so as to be closely adjacent to thetoothed disk 23. A guide block 31 is fastened on the other side of thcross member 10 in the vicinity of the toothed disk 22 which is adjacentto the motor 13.

An upper connecting bar 32 and a lower connecting bar 33 are guided inboreholes of the guide block 31 and the bearing housing 29 so as toslide parallel relative to one another and to the two intermediateportions 21, 24 of the toothed belt 20. In the area of the bearinghousing 29, the two connecting bars 32, 33 are provided with teeth onthe sides facing one another, which teeth mesh with the toothed wheel 30at places which are offset relative to one another by 180°.

A bushing 34 is securely arranged on the lower connecting bar 33. Apressure spring 35, which is supported at an abutment 36, presses thebushing 34 and, accordingly, the lower connecting bar 33, in thedirection of the motor 13. As a result of the coupling running inopposite directions, which is effected by means of the toothed wheel 30,the upper connecting bar 32 is pressed in the opposite direction--to theright in the drawing.

The upper connecting bar 32 is lengthened beyond the end of the crossmember 10 on the side on which the deflecting pulley 15 is arranged, andits end is provided with a feeler roll 37. The latter contacts a guiderail 38 without play under the pressure exerted by the spring 35.

The guide rail 38 is swivelable around a pivot 39 which fits into a fork40 which is welded on at the machine frame. In the basic position, whichis shown by means of continuous lines, the guide rail 38 is arranged soas to be vertical, i.e. at a right angle to the direction of theintermediate belt portions 21, 24 and accordingly also at a right angleto the winding axis.

From this position, it is swivelable around an angle up to approximately30° in the direction of arrow 41 in the plane in which the connectingbars 32, 33 are located. Within this angular area, it can be stopped inevery position--such as in the position 38' shown by means of brokenlines--by means of adjusting screws 42, 43.

Connecting pieces 44, 45, which reach down to the level of theintermediate belt portions 21, 24, are securely clamped at the upperconnecting bar 32. A thin strip 46, which lies flat in the narrowintermediate space between the intermediate belt portions 21, 24 andextends practically along the entire free length between the tootheddisks 22, 23, is screwed onto the connecting pieces 44, 45. Theconnecting pieces 44, 45 are provided with boreholes in which the lowerconnecting bar 33 slides freely. The strip 46 is provided with a totalof four deflectors 47a-47d (particularly FIG. 5) which are uniformlyspaced and which project out in front over the front edge of the toothedbelt 20 slightly further than the carriers 28 themselves, the front edgebeing outfitted with the carriers 28. The deflectors 47 of the strip 46are beveled in a wedge-shaped manner at the flank facing themotor--toward the left in the drawing.

Correspondingly, a strip 50, which is likewise located between theintermediate belt portions 21, 24 under the strip 46 in a close fittingmanner, is connected with the lower connecting bar 33 by means ofconnecting pieces 48, 49 which are provided with boreholes for thesliding passage of the upper connecting bar 32. The strip 50 has fourdeflectors 51a-51d which are arranged so as to be spaced in the samemanner as the deflectors 47a-47d, but on the opposite side, at right inthe drawing.

In the position which is shown in the drawing and can be seenparticularly clearly from FIG. 5, the deflectors overlap with theirbroader sides in each instance: 47a with 51b, 47b with 51c, and 47c with51d.

The distance x between every two deflectors 47a-47d is exactly half aslarge as the distance y between two adjacent carriers 28a-28d the sameis true for the spacing of deflectors 51a-51d.

A total of four threads 8a-8d are fed to the spooling machine shown inthe drawing (FIG. 5). The threads 8a and 8c are moved to the right inthe drawing by the carriers 28a or 28c of the upper intermediate beltportion 21; the threads 8b and 8d are moved to the left by the carriers28b and 28d of the lower intermediate belt portion 24. In the indicatedposition, the threads 8a and 8c are already in contact with the flanksof the deflectors 47a, 47c, which flanks slope in a wedge-shaped manner;and the threads 8b and 8d are likewise in contact with the flanks of thedeflectors 51b, 51d, which flanks are beveled in the opposite direction.

The threads 8aand 8c are located directly in front of the right-handreversing point of their traversing area; the threads 8b and 8d arelocated in front of the left-hand reversing point. In the next moment,all the threads will be removed from contact with the respectivecarriers by means of the deflectors and will reverse their movementdirection--effected by means of the central arrangement of the threadguides 7 along the assigned winding places. After they have first freedthemselves, they are gathered by one carrier in each instance;specifically, thread 8a is gathered by the carrier 28b, thread 8b isgathered by the carrier 28a, thread 8c is gathered by the carrier 28d,and thread 8d is gathered by the carrier 28c.

This play is repeated corresponding to the opposite reversing points ofthe individual traversing areas.

The total of four traversing areas are defined by means of the deflectorpairs 47a-51a, 47b-51b, 47c-51c, and 47d-51d. The exact boundary of thetraversing area is at that place at which the wedge-shaped slopes of thedeflector penetrate the plane in which the outermost tips of thecarriers 28 rotate. The effective spacing z, i.e., the spacing definedby means of the boundaries of the traversing area, is smaller than thecenter distance x between two adjacent traversing areas, which--inagreement with the distance between adjacent deflectors 47a-47d and51a-51d--is exactly half as large as the spacing y between two adjacentcarriers 28a-28d.

If the guide rail 38 is vertically upright, the positions of thedeflectors 47a-47d and 51a-51d remain unchanged during the winding. Thewindings receive level end faces. The length of a winding--i.e. thespacing between its two end faces--agrees with the effective spacing z.The length of the sleeve is x. The spacing between the end faces of twoadjacent windings, which end faces face one another, i.e. the differencebetween x and z, can be small in comparison with the length of thewinding. The sleeve need only project slightly from the end faces of thefinished windings in order to prevent the windings from sliding off thesleeve ends and so that there is enough room, if necessary, for aknotting lap.

However, if the guide rail 38 occupies the inclined position, which canbe seen in FIG. 2, the feeler roll 37, which moves forward on the guiderail 38, and, along with it, the connecting bar 32 receive a horizontalmovement component--in the left-hand direction in thedrawing--corresponding to the inclination of the guide rail 38. Theconnecting bar 33 compulsorily moves to the right. The strips 46, 50,with the deflectors 47, 51, move to the same extent as the connectingbars 32, 33. The deflectors 47a and 51a. which determine the reversingpoints for the construction of the winding 2a, thus move toward oneanother as the winding diameter increases, as do the other respectivepairs of deflectors. The traversing stroke decreases, and the windingbecomes conical, wherein the cone exactly corresponds to the angularadjustment of the guide rail 38.

If the spooling machine is to be readjusted from four winding places toeight correspondingly narrower winding places, the toothed belt 20 isexchanged for another toothed belt which comprises twice the quantity ofcarriers along the same length. Moreover, the strips 46, 50 are to beexchanged for strips with deflectors which are arranged so as to becorrespondingly closer. The gear unit for the automatic displacement ofthe deflectors remains unchanged; possibly, the angle of taper can bechanged by means of a simple adjustment of the guide rail 38.

Embodiment Forms of the Invention

The preferred embodiment form of the invention is that shown in thedrawing. Among other things, it is characterized in that the twointermediate belt portions belong to a single revolving continuous belt.However, the invention is also usable in spooling machines whosebelt-type traversing devices comprise two revolving continuous belts,wherein--as is known from the texts given as prior art--an intermediateportion of one belt is adjacent to an intermediate portion of the otherbelt which is moved in the opposite direction.

For the sake of simplicity and clarity, the word "belt" is used in theforegoing description so as to be representative of other tractionmechanisms, as well, such as bands, chains, and ropes, which can, inprinciple, be used in such traversing devices instead of belts; however,belts, specifically toothed belts, are preferred.

Commercial Applicability

The primary field of application of the spooling machine, according tothe invention, is the production and processing of threads of syntheticmaterial.

I claim:
 1. A spooling machine having at least two winding places thatare arranged adjacent to each other in a row and having a traversingdevice, comprising:a plurality of intermediate belt portions arrangedadjacent to each other, each of said intermediate belt portions having aplurality of carriers uniformly spaced apart from each other by apredetermined uniform distance (y) and including a first carrier and asecond carrier, means for moving said intermediate belt portionslinearly in opposite directions so as to move said carriers inassociation therewith and thereby move said first carrier and saidsecond carrier in opposite directions with respect to each other; andmeans for feeding a thread from said first carrier to said secondcarrier and including a plurality of pairs of deflectors having atraversing area at which a respective one of said deflectors actuallydetaches said thread from an arriving one of said carriers, saidadjacent deflectors being arranged so as to mark a place of reversal ofsaid transversing area individually and thereby correspond to apredetermined number of winding places, adjacent two of said deflectorsbeing spaced apart from each other by a predetermined spacing (x) thatis half as large as said predetermined uniform distance between saidcarriers, said adjacent deflectors being formed to have an effectivespacing (z) that is smaller than said predetermined distance (x), saideffective spacing (z) which constitutes a distance between saidtransversing area of each of said adjacent deflectors and which issmaller than said predetermined distance (x).
 2. The spooling machine asdefined in claim 1; further comprising:a winding mandrel (3) having alongitudinal axis, said deflectors (47a-d; 51a-d) displacing along saidlongtudinal axis of said winding mandrel (3); a plurality of windings(2) on said winding mandrel (3), said windings (2) each having a windingsurface and winding diameter; a drive member (5); transmission means(37, 38) for coupling said deflectors (47a-d, 51a-d) with said drivemember (5), said drive member (5) being formed to contact said windingsurface so as to move said adjacent two deflectors (47a-d, 51a-d)relative to each other and thereby define said predetermined spacing (x)between said adjacent two deflectors (47a-51a; 47b-51b; 47c-51c;47d-51d) so that said predetermined spacing (x) becomes smaller inresponse to an increase to an increase in said winding diameter.
 3. Thespooling machine as defined in claim 2, wherein said drive member isformed as a driving roll.
 4. A spooling machine, comprising:a pluralityof intermediate belt portions adjacent to each other, said intermediatebelt portions having a plurality of carriers spaced apart from eachother by a predetermined distance (y), means for moving saidintermediate belt portions whereby said carriers move in oppositedirections with respect to each other; and means for feeding a threadfrom one of said carriers to another carrier moving in oppositedirection and including a plurality of pairs of deflectors arrangedadjacent to said intermediate belt portions, adjacent two of saiddeflectors being spaced apart from each other by a predetermined spacing(x) that is one-half as large as said predetermined distance (y), saidadjacent deflectors having a traversing area at which a respective oneof said deflectors actually detaches the thread from an arriving one ofsaid carriers, said adjacent deflectors being formed to have aneffective spacing (z) which constitutes a distance between saidtransversing area of each of said adjacent deflectors and which issmaller than said predetermined distance (x).
 5. The spooling machine asdefined in claim 4, wherein said plurality of carriers (28) areuniformly spaced apart from each other.
 6. The spooling machine asdefined in claim 4; further comprising:means for adjusting saidpredetermined spacing (x) and including a feeler member, means foradjustably moving said feeler member and means connected between saidfeeler member and said deflectors so as to move said deflectors relativeto each other and thereby change said predetermined spacing (x).
 7. Thespooling as defined in claim 6 wherein said:means for adjustably movingsaid feeler member (37) including an adjustably movable guide rail (38)arranged so as to move said feeler member (37) in association therewith.8. The spooling machine as defined in claim 7 including means forangular adjusting said guide rail (38), said deflectors (47a-d; 51a-d)being formed to move in response to said angular adjusting so that thewinding becomes conical in correspondance to said angular adjusting.